Reduce Consumption and Move to Circular Economy

Our current extraction of materials and level of consumption in industrialized countries is not sustainable. We consume too much too fast. Our current economic system rewards the profligate use of materials and energy. Our global trading system favors the free trade of goods over and above environmental or health concerns. How do we slow this down and at the same TIME promote the equitable and sustainable use of the earth’s resources? How can we achieve smaller and cleaner material, water, and energy flows?

We can do this through local production and consumption of food and materials and the use of renewable energy. We can also do this through improved product design that promotes durability and reuse. But first, we must measure what we are consuming and how our governments are spending our public money. Then, we must redefine what constitutes a sustainable economic and trading system.